And they threw everything at Blackpool in a furious onslaught for the winner that would have taken it to extra-time. But, alas, it was not to be.

When the final whistle went Zigic crashed to the floor with his head in his hands, Marlon King too, Chris Burke was in tears, as was Nathan Redmond, who pulled his shirt over his head in anguish.

The pain, the disappointment was raw, it cut deep.

Never before have so few given so much so honestly in a marathon season for the club.

And there were no recriminations: St Andrew's rose to give their vanquished Band of Brothers a standing ovation.

Keep Right On was belted out and so, pointedly, was a rousing chorus of 'one Chrissy Hughton' in appreciation of the man who has done so much to pick through the mess of last summer and give Blues back their purpose, pride and competitiveness, all along cutting an impressive, classy figure.

Afterwards Hughton admitted that over the two legs Blackpool had been the better side and went into the play-offs 'with perhaps more rhythm than we did'.

Blues suffered injuries at the wrong time and were missing defensive cornerstones Boaz Myhill, Stephen Carr and Steven Caldwell, key midfielder Keith Fahey too, and others just coming back from lay-offs.

That undoubtedly had an affect and Blues were not as fluent or sharp as Blackpool over the 180 minutes, their passing and inter-play was not at its best. They didn't get that odd stroke of luck required, either - Marlon King hit the woodwork three times.

But there was always that constant: a redoubtable spirit, a togetherness and determination to keep pushing, keep trying and - what else? - keep right on.

The scenes at the end were quite remarkable, really. It echoed the first tilt at the play-offs, in 1999, when Blues lost to Watford on penalties in the semi-final.

Yes, there was heartache all around. But it was strangely uplifting too. And I doubt whether Hughton, his staff or any player would not have been moved.

A cracking first-half came to the worse possible close for Blues, and was pivotal in the overall outcome.

Jonathan Spector suffered a recurrence of his thigh injury and was substituted in the 44th minute at a Blackpool corner.

Blues couldn't wait, they had to get him off there and then because he was hobbling badly.

After play restarted with a deep cross from the corner, Davies sprang high to nod clear and then blocked Alex Baptiste's spectacular overhead attempt.

But the ball bounced back off his upper chest and arm straight to Stephen Dobbie on the angle of the six-yard box.

Dobbie swivelled a first-time shot that should not have but did squirm past Colin Doyle at the near post.

Spector, back in the side to start after injury, was doing a decent job bringing energy and drive. Hughton felt his traits were needed with Blackpool's extra numbers in midfield.

And the match was finely poised, with chances at either end - and penalty appeals apiece - before the deadlock was broken.

King, in the 13th minute, thumped a far post David Murphy cross onto the face of the crossbar in yet another close shave for Blackpool at his hands.

He struck the woodwork twice in the first leg at Bloomfield Road.

Tom Ince might have had a penalty in the seventh minute as Murphy tugged him back as he got the inside track to a long diagonal ball, but he carried on and Doyle hacked his shot away from close range to snuff out the danger.

And Blues penalty claim came soon afterwards when, from a corner, a Baptiste misheader struck Gary Taylor-Fletcher on the lower arm.

On a slippy, rain-sodden pitch, there was no let up from either side in the first-half. Both went at it hammer and tongs.

Blackpool settled and became composed in possession, Blues were urgent when going forward and using Zigic as their main point of reference.

Burke curled a 25-yarder just wide as Blues kept up a determined opening, roared on by a vociferous 28,483 crowd.

But Blackpool were a threat as well and Davies and Pablo notably had to execute last-ditch interceptions to stop Blackpool profiting.

After the setback of the goal 30 seconds into first-half stoppage-time, Blues naturally needed to start the second period well.

However, it was anything but as three minutes after the change round Matt Phillips made a tough task even tougher.

Phillips made a diagonal run across the defence - and was onside - took down a chipped ball forward and directed it across Doyle from the left of the penalty area.

It seemed to take an age as it bounced beyond the 'keeper's outstretched left hand, but it had the necessary precision and bobbled in off the post.

It flattened Blues, flattened the stadium. The elongated, gruelling season was finishing with a limp - or so it seemed.

Nathan Redmond was sent on and, in the 64th minute, Blues got their second wind when Zigic slotted in neatly.

After good hold up play by King, Burke nudged the ball through behind the backline for Zigic whose sure drive from 10 yards did the rest.

With Redmond lively, a relentless Burke causing problems and teasing, and the crowd roused again, Blues summoned up a last, gallant hurrah.

And as the atmosphere reached a frenzy again, as noted by Ian Holloway (I swear he's a closet Blues fan), Blackpool were tested to the max.

Guriane N'Daw had a goalbound shot he didn't quite get hold of blocked in a melee as the pressure began to tell and moments later a tricky run and cross by Redmond set up King to touch in, but Matt Gilks stuck out his foot sharply and stopped the shot from six yards range.

Hughton's side had the momentum, Blackpool were rattled, and Blues equalised in the 73rd minute through the imperious Davies.

He came storming in to power home Jordon Mutch's right wing corner with his head and the tie was all square on the night and back in the balance overall.

Blackpool moved to shore things up by sending on Keith Southern for Ince and Blues surging determination, their spirited comeback, was just about kept in check.

Davies headed just over again from another corner and although Zigic had to boot a Nouha Dicko header off the line from a Blackpool corner, it was a blue tide heading relentlessly towards the Tilton Road End for the last 25 minutes.

But it's orange over Wembley, not blue, and all that is to show for a captivating, coruscating season as we head into an uncertain summer is a glorious failure right near the very last.